AI Impact on HCPs

In a 2022 Medium article¹, I said something that I think is relevant today: “The rise of artificial intelligence shows a great deal of potential when it comes to making smarter, more informed healthcare decisions. Whether it’s having a c-section or choosing a cancer treatment protocol, we can tap into a wealth of patient data to finally deliver on the promise of personalized medicine.” I believe this is exactly what the fields of healthcare and pharma need.

It’s no surprise that numerous articles in our many healthcare and life sciences brands are exploring advances in AI, especially around ChatGPT and large-language models. There are concerns about AI in all industries, but in healthcare, a recent lawsuit was filed against Cigna for denying appropriate insurance claims. A report detailed that the payer denied more than 300,000 claims within 1.2 seconds per claim using an AI algorithm. This brings up the point that algorithms depend on quality data—data that is hopefully trustworthy and unbiased.

In this month’s technology column, Assistant Managing Editor Mike Hollan delves into AI adoption. He notes that: “HCPs are understandably wary of changing their procedures to incorporate a new device or software that may not work out…HCPs and patients can’t afford to make assumptions about [AI] when they incorporate them into their treatment plans.”

And that’s what the industry is seeking: the best outcomes for patients. In an interview from our Targeted Oncology^TM brand², Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla, MD, oncologist and co-founder of Massive Bio, said, “[Physicians] need to learn about AI, we need to be part of the conversation, and we need to embrace it as a tool to enhance our practices. I’ve heard that this is going to replace physicians—I never believed this because of my own experience living at the forefront of AI...We still yearn for having that personal touch. We want to talk to patients; the patients want to talk to us.”

Again, I couldn’t agree more. As I noted in my Medium interview, my hope is that AI will free HCPs up to increasingly show their humanity by spending more time with patients. “I don’t think most doctors want to finish an appointment as quickly as possible so they can run to their next…We have the ability to analyze patient data now to make smarter decisions and we need to continue moving in that direction.”

Reference

1. Frankel, J. (September 18, 2022). Michael J Hennessy Jr of MJH Life Sciences On 5 Things We Must Do To Improve the US Healthcare System. Medium.com. https://medium.com/authority-magazine/michael-j-390530c95a72
2. (July, 2023). Everyday Use of AI and ChatGPT in Oncology Practice. Targeted Oncology. https://www.targetedonc.com/view/everyday-use-of-ai-and-chatgpt-in-oncology-practice